ONCE AND FOR ALL
by fluffy2117
Summary: All Maddy wants to be is a newsie but it's a harder than she thought. As she overcomes these obstacles, she finds herself attracted to a certain leader who has a few skeletons in his closet; but they're nothing compared to hers. Can they make it work?
1. Default Chapter

The sweltering, hot sun burned freckles into her all ready darkened skin as she strolled along the streets. She walked with purpose and no questioned her whereabouts. The young woman had a mission and she was determined to get to her destination. Nothing could stop her when she set her mind to something.  
  
The young woman stopped in front of a semi-shabby looking building that had a large brass sign that read "The Lodging House". This was the place and it looked like her last chance.  
  
Pushing the door open, she stepped into the musty lobby and soaked up the atmosphere. A friendly old man sat behind the wooden desk, reading to a boy with blonde hair and slightly tipped glasses (not unlike the old man). Some younger boys were on the floor by a window playing cards and an older boy was slumped on the staircase landing, taking an afternoon nap. As soon as the door shut, everyone looked at her.  
  
With her chin out and her head up, she walked to the desk taking careful, deliberate steps. She felt all eyes on her and didn't know what to think. When she reached the desk, she took a deep breath and looked directly into the old man's curious eyes.  
  
"My name is Maddy. I want to be a newsie." 


	2. CHAPTER ONE

---**Chapter One**---

Things at the Lodging House had started ordinarily enough. With most of the newsies gone all day selling papers, the place was pretty much deserted until nightfall. Sometimes, boys would run in and take naps or hang out with each other, but Kloppman didn't mind. Kloppman never minded and was considered a grandfather figure to the Downtown New York newsies who boarded at the Lodging House.

When the door opened that afternoon to reveal a lovely young lady, Kloppman only assumed she was lost and was looking for directions to the nearest market place or wherever her heart desired. But when she introduced herself and told him she wanted to be a newsie...well, he'd been more than surprised.

"Miss? Are you feeling all right?" Kloppman asked gently. "Do you need to sit down? I know that heat out there has been killer, but I hadn't thought it brought people to be having..._delusions_..."

"No, I do not need to sit down sir, I'm quite fine, thank you," Maddy replied evenly, expecting this sort of answer. "I came to discuss business with you about this whole newspaper world. I want to be a part of it and you, sir, can make that happen."

"You understand you're girl, right?" the blonde headed boy standing next Kloppman asked rather bluntly.

"I've been well aware for the past seventeen years, but thank you for pointing that out," Maddy answered coolly, a smirk playing across her face.

"Well...I, uh, didn't mean that..." he stuttered. "It's just no girls are allowed to be newsies."

"Who made up that rule? Did you?"

"Well...no..."

"Did you ever think to wonder that just because most girls don't want to be newsies doesn't mean there isn't any who do?"

"As a matter of fact..."

"And is it written down anywhere that girls can't become newsies? If so, I want to see this," Maddy interrupted, folding her arms.

"Listen lady, I didn't make up the rules. That's just the way it's been and it's the way it's always going to be," the boy replied, sounding a little upset. He looked at the old man for help, but he just shrugged.

"Dutchy, she's got a point," Kloppman reasoned. Before he continued, he was rudely interrupted.

"Kloppman! She's a GIRL," Dutchy exclaimed in an exasperated tone. "Girls won't be able to sell any newspapers because they'll complain about the work and no one would buy them because they'd all think it was some kind of trip. They probably think they'd be wasting their money."

"Can I say something?" Maddy asked. "I understand that I seem to have...limitations. But that doesn't mean I can't do the job. I could sell just as many newspapers as a man could and I think a petty thing such as gender shouldn't stand in the way. But you've got to believe me that I've tried every other lodging house in the city. No one will take me because I'm a woman. I've pleaded and groveled with everyone and no one would give me a chance. When I asked newsies where I could go to find answers, they pointed me here. They said Kloppman was a fair man and that he could give me the answers I needed. Of course, they were under the impression I was looking for a job for my brother, but I knew they believed this Kloppman character to be trust-worthy and kind. Since I'm assuming you're Kloppman, can you please give me a hand?"

Kloppman waited a beat and let her rant sink in before he asked a question. "Why do you want to sell newspapers?"

"To be blatantly obvious, I got no place to go," Maddy replied, sighing. "I can't sew, I can't cook, and I hate looking after spoiled, little rich kids so that pretty much gives me no options in a woman's job. Due to my personal reasons, I ran away on angry terms and I haven't looked back. I've been doing odd jobs here and there but I'm looking for something stable. I know I have the talent to do this but I need a place to stay and a place where I can interact with newsboys so I can learn all the tricks of the trade. That's where you come in."

"So you're telling me that if I don't give you a place to stay, you have no place to go? Is that what I understand?" Kloppman asked curiously.

"Yup. I'm sick of skipping across rooftops, sleeping in the park, or wherever else seems suitable," Maddy answered. "I need this place before I get sent to the Refuge again."

Kloppman looked at Dutchy and knew the answer Dutchy wanted to give. But he studied Maddy and saw something inside her. He saw a sort of spunk he saw in some of his best newsboys and he knew she was being serious.

"Okay," Kloppman said evenly. "I'm gonna give you a chance kid. You know, you're the first girl to walk through those doors wantin' a job. I'm hoping you live up to the expectations you presented." Kloppman gave Dutchy credit as the young boy's face turned red, but didn't say anything. His mouth just drew into a thin line and stalked off to a room in the back.

A large grin cracked across her face and if it weren't for the desk, Maddy probably would've squeezed him in a death hug. She hadn't felt this happy in a long time and was extremely excited that this day was looking up all of a sudden.

"Well, I hope I live up to those expectations too, sir," Maddy agreed. It's been awhile since she even had expectations to live up to. Well, this would just have to be another challenge and she thrived on challenges.

"Grab your bag and I'll show you upstairs," Kloppman told her and she followed him, feeling extremely content.

Eating hot dogs, drinking sasparilla, and hanging out with your friends at Tibby's Diner; it didn't get much better than this, Jack Kelly thought to himself. He smiled as he looked around the table and saw his best friends talking and laughing at a joke someone made.

Racetrack Higgins was trying to convince Les Jacobs into a quick round of poker with the bet consisting of whoever won had to buy the person another hot dog. While Racetrack was being very persuasive, Les knew better than to bet Racetrack for food, although it was tempting. Kid Blink was egging Les on, eager to see how the game would turn out. He was sort of known as Racetrack's unofficial partner, trying to hook up suckers to Race to bet with. While Racetrack would've liked to work alone, he admitted he wouldn't be half as good if it hadn't been for Kid Blink.

Then there was David Jacobs and Mush, trying to stay out of the whole scam. While David was too smart Race's betting techniques, Mush had learned from plenty of games with Race that it was best if he didn't get involved. David had long tried giving up on his younger brother, claiming that it was his money and he could waste it however he pleased. That didn't stop a little brotherly panic to go through his mind when Les decided to take the bet.

As Jack was getting comfortable to watch the poker game unfold, a loud clatter was heard at the front of the restaurant where a tired looking Crutchy banged in.

"Hey, Crutchy! How's it going?" David called out to him. Before he could answer, David realized that Crutchy looked rather flushed and sweaty. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Crutchy insisted, hobbling over to the table. His leg was getting better, but he still needed to use his crutch now and then. He reached the table, pulled up a spare chair and took a breather as he looked around the table. "You guys heard the news?"

"What news?" Mush asked, tearing his eyes away from the poker game.

"Kloppman hired another newsie," Crutchy answered, wiping his forehead. To him, the sun just seemed to be getting hotter and hotter.

"So? What's the big deal?"

"It's a_ girl_!"

"WHAT?!" Most of the boys exclaimed, shocked at what Crutchy was telling them.

"Hot damn!" Les yelled loudly. Unfortunately, he hadn't heard a word of what Crutchy was talking about; he'd been referring to the fact that he, once again, had lost a poker game to Racetrack over food. And he'd really wanted that hot dog too.

"Les! Watch your mouth," David said, half absent-mindedly.

"_You_ say it all the time," Les grumbled as Racetrack collected his cards and gloated.

"That's different, I'm older," David reasoned as Les scowled. "Besides, we've got more pressing issues to deal with."

"Like the fact that Les owes me a hot dog? Because I'm thinking I'm mighty hungry!" Racetrack said triumphantly, rubbing his stomach for dramatic effect.

"Shut your mouth Race," Les replied. "You'll get your hot dog when I earn enough money. Hold your horses."

"You guys! Did you not even hear what Crutchy had to say?" Kid Blink interrupted the two arguing boys. "There's a girl newsie in our boarding house!" They looked at him blankly, as if he was speaking a foreign language.

"That's crazy; Kloppman would never hire a girl," Racetrack scoffed, taking a sip of his drink. "Only guys are newsies. Girls would complain too much."

"Dutchy told me that's what he told Kloppman, but apparently Kloppman decided otherwise," Crutchy said, filling them in on the details. "She's moved in and everything!"

"This is awful. What if she takes away from our selling papers?" Kid Blink pointed out.

"What are you talking about Blink? No girl is gonna take away from our sellin'," Mush said confidently. Kid Blink sighed and hit Mush's head.

"Think, stupid! If this girl is good-looking, she's gonna be cornering up a whole new market," Blink explained. Jack laughed at that thought.

"Yeah, but that's only if she's good-looking. I mean for all we know, she could be ugly and stupid and couldn't find another job," he said, laughing at his joke. The rest of the guys joined him, except Crutchy.

"I don't know. Snoddy was there when Kloppman hired her and he said she wasn't too bad on the eyes," he said, a worried tone inflected in his voice.

"Yeah, but we've all seen Snoddy's taste in women," Jack replied. "I don't think we have anything to worry about. Besides, even if she's a good looking broad, that doesn't mean she's got talent. And that's something we've all been working on for years. My advice: we shouldn't worry too much about it."

"Yeah, I guess you're right Jacky-boy. You always know the right thing to say," Kid Blink replied, a relaxed feeling coming over him. He knew deep down that Jack was right; this was coming from a kid who had led a whole troop of kids against Pulitzer, right?

All the boys felt silent until Kid Blink spoke again. "Still...don't ya kinda wanna see her? I mean, she's gotta be a different sort of girl to want to become a newsie."

The boys all nodded and shared their agreement as they all stood up, ready to pay the bill. Only Jack and Crutchy sat in their wooden seats.

"Hey guys! I thought we weren't going to worry about it!" Jack exclaimed. All his friends seemed to be trading in a good time to hang out with some chick. What a sour ending to a great day.

"We aren't going to worry about it," David answered. "However, it always helps to check out the competition." The boys all started throwing money down on the table for the meals until Jack noticed something.

"Les, you're going too?"

"I...uh...David's making me!" Les replied, not being able to come up with a quick enough excuse. And then he thought of a more workable excuse before David could say anything. "Besides, I left my set of jacks with Skittery and Pie-Eater and I haven't seen them in a week. I kind of want it back."

"Are you saying you don't want to see her?" Mush asked curiously. "I mean, you have been known to "know" some ladies in your past."

"I just think the whole thing sounds fishy," Jack replied. "It's not that I don't trust Crutchy, but remember the last time Dutchy told Crutchy about how they were going to shut Tibby's down and Crutchy got all upset and told all of us before Dutchy could say he was just kidding?"

"Jack, I thought we said we'd never talk about 'the incident'," Crutchy said, his ears turning slightly pink.

"Sorry. You guys understand where I'm coming from?" Jack asked, looking into all their eyes.

"I guess," Racetrack answered. "Still it never hurts to back up your facts. And with that on mind, last one to the lodging house owes me _two_ hot dogs!" With that challenge, all the boys raced out of the restaurant, yelling and laughing along the way.

"Well Jack, I guess it's just us," Crutchy said, sighing.

"Have you seen her?" Jack inquired. Crutchy shook his head and stole one of Jack's French fries.

"No, but I saw the back of her head," he admitted. "She's got gorgeous auburn hair though; really thick and straight and it caught the light in a cool way. But then she was gone before she turned around. She seems to be making enough friends throughout the house though."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Jack muttered, thinking of womanly wiles he'd dealt with in the past. "C'mon Crutchy, I'll walk you home."


	3. CHAPTER TWO

**---Chapter Two---**

It was nightfall by the time Crutchy and Jack reached the Lodging House. They both headed up to the large, communal bedrooms and saw all their friends, chatting and sleeping, waiting for the next day of work. Rubbing his face, Jack blindly made his way to the communal bathroom where he saw her. And he couldn't help but stare.

This mystery girl was gorgeous and Jack hated to admit it, even to himself. She had a sort of natural beauty that sent good vibes to whoever happened to be in her presence. Although her hair was swept up in a knot on top of her head, he realized Crutchy had been dead on in his description. Her body was slightly curved under her pajamas and he noticed she had an athletic build; he also noticed the deep circles under her chocolate brown eyes and the slightly sallow look to her face, the kind that he saw in lots of his friends when they hadn't been eating enough.

"Are you gonna stand there watching me all night?" she said to him, turning off the faucet. "I kinda need to get through the door if I want to go to bed and you're sort of in my way."

"I wasn't watching you," Jack replied, feeling a sort of catch in his throat. "Something shiny caught my eye behind you. It was...uh...distracting." The girl turned around and saw nothing but dingy, albeit clean, towels.

"Sure, whatever you say," she replied, drying her face on her sleeve. She walked up to him and stuck out her hand. "I'm Maddy, by the way." He took her hand and immediately felt the calluses on her palm, something he hadn't expected. Despite the roughness, her hand did feel rather small in his own.

"Jack," he replied. "I'm Jack."

"The infamous Jack Kelly, I presume?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"People talk. They were telling me something about a strike you were in charge of about a year ago. Impressive," Maddy replied, letting her hair out of its knot. She ran a hand through its long length. "I also heard you're one of the best newsies in New York."

"Uh, yeah, that's right," Jack replied, staring at her hair. "I mean, not to brag or anything..."

"Of course not," Maddy agreed, staring up into his eyes. God, he was tall. "But I guess we'll see who's the best, won't we?" Jack stopped staring at her hair and looked into her eyes before he busted out laughing. "What's so funny?"

"You just got here and you're already claiming a title that I've worked at for so long?" he laughed, holding his sides. "You got another thing coming Ms. Maddy."

Maddy took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she let herself get angry. She checked him out from head to toe and thought about how she wanted to handle this. With disheveled brown hair, clear blue eyes, and tan skin, he certainly wasn't lacking in the looks department. However the overly-cocky grin and confident body image confirmed her thoughts; he wasn't going to let someone, let alone a girl, take away his glory.

"You know what? It's not even worth it to stand here and argue with you whether or not I'm qualified for this," Maddy told him, folding her arms. "I know what I can do and that's all that matters. If you want to pick a fight, we'll rumble another time." With that said she slinked past him and stalked off to the spare bedroom Kloppman scrounged up.

Jack sighed and walked over to an empty sink. She did look kind of cute when she was angry, he thought to himself and immediately began to wash his face so wouldn't have to think about her.

The next morning went pleasantly well compared to last night. Maddy managed to make it with little incident and was grateful for the boys that actually seemed to be interested in her. She was thankful for the attention, but she made it clear that she wanted to be friends and that this wasn't just some opportunity to "get to know" a lot of guys. Sure, she pissed some people off, but the nice ones stuck around and she was appreciative for what looked like the beginning of great friendships.

With Mush on one side and Skittery on the other, they walked with her to the Distribution Center and they both offered to help her find a selling spot. The three of them chatted along the way, with the boys sharing lots of stories they picked up once they became newsies.

When the reached the distribution place, they waited patiently for their turn in line. She noticed a tall guy wearing a black cowboy hat was up at the front of the line, talking with a guy she remembered from yesterday; she believed his name was David. It took her a minute to realize that the tall guy was Jack and she quickly turned away.

"So are you nervous?" Skittery asked, tuning Maddy back into the conversation.

"Well, now that you mention it, I am a little," Maddy admitted, feeling slight butterflies in her stomach. "But hey, it's not like there's a ton of pressure to do well or anything. Nah, just a couple of guys at the boarding house waiting to watch me screw up horribly."

"Don't worry about what they think," Mush said assuredly. "I'm sure you'll do fine. For a girl and all." He laughed as she hit his arm and then winced when she wasn't looking.

A loud clanging sound was heard as the window opened to reveal a chubby, middle-aged man and two skinny looking guys carrying a bunch of newspapers to sell to the newsies.

"Hey Weasel." Maddy heard Jack say with sarcastic tone. "Got any good headlines?"

"Oh sure, all these papers have magical interesting headlines," the Weasel man said in a sneering tone. "All you have to do is just stand there and soon you'll be richer than Pulitzer. C'mon Cowboy, how many papes?"

"100 papes, as usual," Jack replied in a bored tone. Maddy's eyes widened at the number. 100 papers? And that was _usual_?

After Jack got his papers, the line moved along rather nicely until Maddy got up to the window.

"Can I help you miss?" Weasel asked condescendingly. Maddy raised her eye brows and realized that this man seemed to have a permanent sneer to his voice.

"100 papers, please," she asked calmly. Mush and Skittery both seemed kind of shocked.

"Are you sure Maddy? That's an awful lot of papes," Skittery informed her as a look of disgust formed on Weasel's face.

"Yeah. Wouldn't a little girl like you rather go play with dollies and jump rope?" Weasel laughed as his own, pathetic joke.

"Wouldn't a grown man like you rather earn a real living at a real job rather than put up with kids that look ten times smarter than you?" Maddy snapped back, feeling frustrated from all the talking down she'd been dealing with. The snickers and gasps she heard were only slightly gratifying. "Look, I just want my papers and I'm practically throwing you money to give them to me!"

"I ain't selling no girl "World" newspapers," Weasel stated matter of fact. "It would be a waste of newspapers and Mr. Pulitzer wouldn't be too happy with that."

"Look you slobbering, pathetic, son of a..." Maddy began fuming before she was rudely interrupted.

"50 papers, Weasel," Jack said, cutting in line and plunking down money. Newspapers were immediately handed to him from Weasel's lackeys as Maddy's mouth dropped open. Before she could say anything, Jack grabbed her arm and dragged her away.

"Now wait just a damn minute, I want my papers!" Maddy fumed, getting even more upset. What right did he have to pull her out of line?

"Here they are," Jack said, handing her the papers he just bought. "You're welcome."

"I don't remember saying thank you."

"What's your problem? I just saved your ass!"

"That's the problem Jack! It's my own ass and I'll decide who I let save it or not," she replied hotly. "Who are you to just start buying papes just because I seemed to be in a little trouble?"

"Listen, if I hadn't done it, somebody else would've," Jack replied, getting angry. "Why are you getting so angry? I did you a favor!"

"So what? You're saying I should bend down on one knee and pledge my eternal gratefulness for you?" Maddy asked. "Sorry kid, that ain't the way I work. Go find a lackey to bother. I'm on my time now."

"I was just thinking we could be friends!" Jack called out after her as she started stalking off. Maddy turned when she heard him say that, an incredulous expression on her face. "I felt kinda bad at how I laughed at you last night and I was going to apologize. I figured the perfect opportunity came up when I saw you struggling' up there. But obviously, you can handle yourself by that fine display you gave Weasel up there."

"You want to be friends after you laugh at me and insult me?" Maddy asked skeptically. "If I were you, I'd work on my people skills. Anyways, you upset me too much. You're too cocky and too confident and I get the feeling I would always be put down in your presence. Thanks but no thanks. I'm going to go sell papers now and I will do a damn good job of it, even with the lousy fifty you bought me. Watch out Kelly."

Maddy flounced off, leaving Jack and whoever else had heard her in the dust. She clutched her papers tightly and wondered how she was going to approach this.

Meanwhile, Jack sighed and ran a hand through his long hair. David and Racetrack came up beside him, looking for conversation.

"Dammit, why does she always get the last word?" Jack asked, mostly too himself.

"You guys both seem to rub each other the wrong way," David agreed. "I don't get it; she was perfectly nice to the rest of us."

"Yeah, what the hell is wrong with you?" Racetrack asked, eliciting a frown from Jack.

"It's not me – this is all her fault," Jack replied. "I was doing a perfectly nice thing and she totally blew up at me."

"Jack, don't you think that she's been treated pretty rough this past couple of days?" Kid Blink asked, joining the conversation. "She's just trying to prove that she can do this and then you come swooping in and do so easily what she wanted to do for herself."

"How do you figure that?"

"I talked to her last night. We all did," Kid Blink admitted. "While you were still at Tibby's. She seems all right. Once you get over the fact that she's a whole different gender, she ain't that bad."

"You all feel this way?" Jack asked. The other two guys nodded.

"She's really nice," David added. "She reminds me of Sarah sort of, but with more of an attitude."

"We played cards and she held her own," Racetrack admitted. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for a girl who knows what cards look like, let alone know how to play them right."

Jack sighed again and re-adjusted his worn cowboy hat. "Listen, why don't we just sell our papes and get on with, all right?"


	4. CHAPTER THREE

**---Chapter Three ­---**

Maddy thought of herself as a quick learner. By listening to other newsies and by observing the crowd, she was able to sell nearly half her papers by lunch time. She figured that logically, the morning would be busier because people would want to know the news before they went off to work. They would want to feel important and up to world events by the time their morning meeting started. So after lunch, she had to get creative with her selling because now people were being down right ignorant.

She'd done everything from making up headlines, to betting, and making false promises. She'd run away from irate customers so often that her legs were starting to feel the burn. Maddy was proud that she'd been able to sell as many papers as she did. After all, with all the negativity floating around her, she'd been struggling to keep her self-confidence afloat. It didn't take long for her to realize that people didn't care who they were buying the paper from; they just cared that they were getting what they paid for, and then some.

Standing at a street corner, Maddy was keeping to herself, waiting for fresh bait to walk buy so she could start her sales pitch again. Unfortunately, instead of reeling in a fish, she got a crummy boot.

"Hey Maddy," Jack greeted her as he sauntered up to her corner. "How are you?"

"Don't you mean how am I selling?" Maddy asked, looking past his broad shoulders. "I'm fine, thanks. Yourself?"

"Some days are better than others," he replied. He looked at her stack of papers and was surprised to such a low quantity. He'd only expected her to sell maybe ten. Obviously, she'd done a lot better than that. "God, have you been giving away papes?"

"Yeah. The heaviness of the coins in my pocket was too much to bear, so I started giving away papers for free," Maddy said sarcastically. She thought she caught a glimpse of a smile from him, but obviously she was mistaken.

"Well, I'm impressed kid," Jack admitted. "Looks like you got what it takes. For a first timer." Maddy smiled sweetly, already feeling a sense of anger overcome her. She wasn't going to let it bother her this time, as she had decided during a long stretch that she was going to try to be nice to Jack; even if it meant biting her tongue.

"I guess so," Maddy agreed through her teeth. She waited a beat before she spoke again. "Is there a reason you're here or are you just going to pick on me? Because I can go find another selling spot if we're going to argue again."

"No, I don't want to fight with you."

"Well, I'm shocked."

"Excuse me, I'm not the one who's always picking the fights," Jack pointed out.

"Yeah, well it takes two to tango," Maddy bit back. "You push my buttons every bit as much as I push yours."

"You don't push my buttons."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't!" Jack exclaimed in an exasperated tone. They looked at each other, emotions boiling. "God, we're doing it again. It's like I can't even talk to you!"

"Why do you want to talk to me so bad?" Maddy asked, sitting down on the dusty street curb.

"I don't know," Jack admitted as he sat down next to her. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "It bothered me that we argued, if you want to know the truth."

"Why?"

Jack looked at her and shook his head. He scanned the streets watching people as they went on with their day to day life as he thought of what to say.

"Look, everyone made such a big deal over a girl newsie being the lodging house. And it wasn't like I was nervous or anything about the competition," Jack added hastily. "It just felt like I couldn't get to know you without pissing you off."

Maddy took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry about that, I guess. Just...you don't know what it's like. I'm pretty much on my own in the lodging house. Dutchy and some other guys have made it pretty clear that they don't want me there. Other guys have made it clear that they want me there, but for all the wrong reasons. I'm trying to find my place and it seems like I keep stepping on toes to get there. Then you came along..."

"And...?"

"And I just snapped. You had this overly cocky bravado and I can't stand that about people," Maddy admitted. "Plus, I'd had to deal with hard-asses all day. But this morning...I overreacted."

"Just a little," Jack conceded, resting his head on his palm.

"Yeah, a little," Maddy agreed, nodding her head. "But you came in and did what I wanted to do. I thought it would be easy. Who would have thought that the stupid Weasel guy would have turned down money? That was when you swooped in and saved the day and I was already upset with Weasel. It wasn't fair for you, and I'm sorry."

"You know, Dave said the same thing," Jack told her. "That I came in and did so easily what you wanted to do. I didn't think it would bother you that much. Honestly, I thought you'd be kind of relieved to get away from Weasel."

"I can take care of myself Jack," she told him, tucking her hair behind her ear. "As much as you were right in the sense that somebody else would've done it for me if you hadn't, I still don't think you should've done it."

"Well, I'm sorry for that, I guess," Jack agreed, stretching out his legs. "I was trying to be nice, but I guess we had a...what do you call it...excommunication?"

"Miscommunication," she gently corrected him, smiling slightly. He smiled back at her and then they both broke eye-contact.

"So are we all right?"

"I 'spose," Maddy replied, waiting a moment. "Maybe we'll be better friends than enemies."

"Sounds good to me," Jack grinned and he stood up, stretching his long legs. "C'mon, I'll take ya out to dinner." He held out his callused hand, which she took willingly.

"What for?"

"It seemed like it took guts for you to admit you were wrong," Jack answered as they began walking down the dirt road. "I admire that."

"I guess I'll stand by my convictions more often if it results in free meals," Maddy replied, smiling.

"No one said anything about it being free," Jack replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Smart-ass."

They walked off side by side as twilight fell over the city. While the sky was turning gorgeous shades of pink, purple, and orange, Jack and Maddy began to talk; telling each other bits and pieces about themselves, how their day had been. By the time they had reached Tibby's Diner, the pair felt at least a little more comfortable with each other. A friendship was forming, despite the petty arguments. And right now, it felt like they both needed it.

"So, tell me about this strike of yours," Maddy said after the two of them had ordered their dinner. "I like hearing tales of how the mouse conquered the lion. It makes me think that there's hope somewhere in the world."

"I couldn't have done it without the other guys," Jack told her modestly. "Especially Dave; it was pretty much his idea in a sort of unintentional kind of way."

"How so?"

"Well, it all started about two years ago," Jack began, leaning back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. "Papes were selling for about fifty cents; most of us were just barely able to afford that. Pulitzer, being the greedy bastard he is, raised it a tenth of a cent. Now, that might not seem a lot, but the way he thought of it, the money would add up and he would soon be richer than Hearst."

"How did you guys deal with that?" Maddy asked, taking a sip of her water.

"A lot of guys didn't want to do nothing. They figured we were just a lousy bunch of kids who couldn't do anything about anything," Jack said, remembering it well. "But there were so many of us who would've gone back on the streets or worse, the Refuge..." He noticed her shudder. "You were in the Refuge?"

"At one point or another," Maddy replied. "It's nothing to cry over. Continue with your story, it's getting interesting."

"Wait, what the hell were you doing in there?" Jack asked, more interested in her tale. Although he knew looks could be deceiving (especially hers), he couldn't possibly fathom a reason for why she would be in the Refuge.

"My uncle put me there," Maddy said simply, just as the waiter came out. "Ooh, look, our food's here!" Digging happily into her pasta, she noticed that Jack was sitting there, not touching his burger. With a full mouth she asked, "What's the matter?"

Jack smiled at her un-lady-likeness, but was still shocked at her statement. "Why would your uncle put you in the Refuge?"

"That was his way of dealing with problems," Maddy answered, swallowing her pasta. "Unfortunately, it wasn't always the right way. C'mon, finish your story."

Jack shook his head and began to eat his burger, finishing his story of how the newsies were able to convince Pulitzer to bring the price back down to where it was before, despite Pulitzer's unwillingness. Before Maddy could comment on the story, David, a young woman, and young man that Maddy had never met walked in through the door and walked over to the table.

"Hey guys," David greeted them, a smile on his face. "It's interesting to see you two here. No blood-shed?"

"Not yet anyway," Maddy replied. "How's it going Dave?"

"Fine, fine."

While David and Maddy talked to each other about their day, Jack made eye contact with the young woman that had come in with David.

"Hi Sarah."

She smiled, her dimples showing. "Hi Jack. How are you?"

"Great. Never felt better in my life," Jack said confidently, swiping a hand through his hair. "You look good."

"Thank you, same to you," she replied, folding her arms at her chest. Jack remembered it being a move she made whenever she was nervous. He still remembered a lot of things about her, despite the fact he didn't want to.

"Who's your friend?" Jack asked, nodding to the skinny man next to her.

"Robert Green," the young man said with no expression as he stuck out his hand in front of Jack. The two men shook hands as they eyed each other up and down.

"Jack, this is my fiancée," Sarah said, choosing to ignore the tentative tone in her voice. However, she did not ignore the fact that his eyes went wide as he sat back in his seat. "Didn't David tell you?"

"No, I guess I just forgot," David chimed in as he and Maddy had finished up their conversation. He noticed the look on Jack's face and realized he better salvage the situation. "Well, we better get going. I'll see you two tomorrow." He grabbed his sister's hand and dragged the two of them away from Maddy and Jack.

"What was that about?" Maddy asked, a little confused at the situation. "Is she a skeleton in your closet or something?"

"Something like that," Jack replied in a distracted tone. He focused his attention back on Maddy and his dinner and tried not to give Sarah and...Robert another thought.

Maddy sensed he was tense about something, but decided against bringing it up. She was enjoying the conversation she was having with Jack and he seemed to relax after awhile with the two of them laughing at each other's jokes. She figured whatever it was Jack would tell her if he needed to. If not, well, she could always ask David.


	5. CHAPTER FOUR

**---Chapter Four---**

"So, it just slipped your mind, huh?" Jack asked David mid-afternoon, a couple of days after his dinner with Maddy. "How the hell does _marriage_ just slip your mind?" For the past two days, Jack had been trying to catch up with his best friend, wanting to know exactly what went on at dinner. Exactly why had his best friend kept a secret this big from him?

"It didn't slip my mind," David said defensively, debating on how he should handle the situation. Or rather, how he should handle the questions Jack was inevitably going to fire at him.

"Why wouldn't you tell me something like that?" Jack asked, his voice rising. He felt like he couldn't think straight, yet his mind seemed oddly clear. "I told you when Mary was cheating on you. Best friends tell each other stuff like this!"

"And remember how hurt I was when you told me?" David reminded him, flinching at the thought of his ex-girlfriend.

"You got over it," Jack dismissed.

"Eventually, I did. Jack, I didn't want to see you hurt. I was just trying to protect you."

"I know," Jack sighed, closing his eyes. "It just...hurts."

The two young men began to walk silently, side by side, in the scorching sun, thinking about the situation they were in. Thoughts of Sarah swarmed Jack's head, but they were past memories that he didn't want to think about.

"When did they meet?"

"Three months after you left for Santa Fe," David sighed, knowing that wasn't the answer he wanted to hear. David wasn't going to bullshit around anymore; he knew Jack wanted the truth and sugar-coating it would only hurt him more. "He works with Papa in the factory. He set the two of them up."

Jack sighed and kicked a rock with his worn, leather shoe. He muttered something to himself and they continued walking in silence.

"You guys were long broken up by then," David pointed out. "You really hurt her Jack. Did you really expect her to wait around for you?"

"Yes. No. I don't know," Jack said, sighing. "It's not like she didn't hurt me either. Why do you think I left?"

"I don't know Jack," David said honestly as they sat down on a park bench. "You never told me why you left. All you left was a note that said you had to figure things out and you didn't know when or if you'd be back. When you came back...I just didn't think you'd want to talk about it. I figured it had something to do with Sarah, but you were so busy catching up with the guys...it didn't feel right to bring it up and then I just never did."

"I left to figure myself out," Jack told him after a long pause. "You're right; Sarah and I had been broken up for awhile before I left. You know I was pretty messed up after that whole incident. I just didn't feel like myself anymore. I wasn't dating, I didn't go out with "the guys", and I wasn't selling as many newspapers as I had been. Somehow, I managed to make the money to buy a train ticket and when I realized that, I left. That was it; forget New York, I'm going to start fresh, settle down with a girl, and start a family. Be the father that mine never was and earn the living I'd always dreamed of."

"So what happened?" David asked. Jack had never opened up about whatever had happened in Santa Fe and now that he seemed to be on a roll, David wanted the whole story.

"It was a bust. I went through the town's supply of women. The relationships kept failing and I couldn't find a decent job. I kept getting odd jobs; hoping one of them would lead to a big break. Everything fell through and after three months, I traveled back to New York, using a horse I stole from this bastard at a horse farm. I let the horse go run free after awhile and I walked back and tried not to think about Santa Fe ever since," Jack finished up, wiping the sweat from his brow. "You know the rest."

"Yeah, I do. You're back home buddy," David said comfortingly and they sat on the park bench, watching the city bustle by.

_One Month Later_

Time flew by and Maddy was becoming more and more comfortable living in the Lodging House. She'd made unforgettable friendships and was indefinitely happy with the decision to become a newsie. There were a couple of bumps along the road; Weasel still refused to sell her papers, so she had to devise a system where Jack or David would buy her papers and she would pay them back with the money she earned from selling them. The three of them had become a group of best friends that she felt herself relying on. They brought a sense of sanity to this crazy newspaper selling world and she was forever thankful. It seemed the closer she got to them, the more she liked them; especially Jack. She felt a sort of bond with him that was different then the bond with David. And if she didn't know any better, she'd of thought she was developing feelings for him. Although she kept denying the emotion, it did come up and it made her nervous.

The friendships with the other newsies she made were almost just as close as the one she made with David. One day, she could be seen selling papers with Skittery, playing jacks with Les, or betting with Racetrack. They made life a little more interesting and she was happy with the fact that they could tell her things they didn't think they could share with their guy friends. It was a symbiotic relationship that seemed to benefit her very well.

Lying on her bed one Sunday afternoon, she was enjoying the fact that the World didn't publish their papers on Sunday, with respect to the day of rest. She was trying to unsuccessfully take a nap when she heard a knock on her door.

"It's open!"

David's head peeked through the door's opening. "Hi Maddy."

"What's going on Dave? C'mon in," Maddy gestured, sitting up on her bed, crossing her legs as her skirt billowed out over them.

"Nothing, really. Was I interrupting something?" he asked, noticing how tired she looked.

"Nah, I was just trying to take a nap, but it wasn't going so well," Maddy told him. "The guys and I stayed up late last night playing cards. Won two bucks."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks. It was worth it to see Racetrack tear up," she replied. "What can I help ya with?"

"Are you busy tonight?" David asked, scratching his neck. His dark blue eyes looked into her brown ones, sounding kind of expectant.

"Tonight? I don't think so," Maddy thought, wondering what he wanted to do. "What did you have in mind?"

"I was kind of hoping you'd come over to my house for dinner," David told her, wanting to sound confident. "Mama's cooking pasta and I know how much you like that."

Maddy smiled and used her finger to trace a pattern on her bedspread. She would've loved to meet David's parents, but something about his tone made her hesitate. Whatever it was, she dismissed the feeling and answered his question.

"Sure," Maddy said. "I'd love to meet your folks. Sounds like it'll be fun."

"Oh it will be," David assured her as he stood up, a big grin stretching across his face. "I want to talk with you more, but I have to go tell Mama to make dinner for one more tonight. I'll come get you around six, all right?"

"Six sounds perfect," Maddy agreed, smiling.

"Bye Maddy." David left the room, whistling, and Maddy fell back against her pillow and tried to go to sleep. She had a big night tonight, didn't she?

While Maddy was tossing and turning, David continued to walk down the dusty roads towards his homestead. A feeling of elation overcame him as he thought of his conversation with Maddy. Over the past couple of weeks, he had recognized the fact that he was developing feelings for Maddy. David, being a logical kind of guy, figured it was bound to happen. He respected her and the things she stood for and realized that there was rarely a time where he wasn't thinking about her. He'd never told anyone of his feelings; the worry of getting ridiculed or rejected kept seeping into his mind whenever he wanted to strike up the nerve to talk to Maddy about his sudden interest in her. He'd been able to restrain himself, but the stress was starting to wear thin. David hoped that this dinner would put him on the map with her though; Sarah was bringing Robert and he was getting sick of not having someone with him as well. He was nineteen after all and his mother had begun to wonder about when he was going to settle down. If things went the way David wanted them to, maybe it would be soon.

Reaching the small apartment the Jacobs lived in, David walked in the door to see his Mama doing some elaborate needlework in her rocking chair while Sarah folded clean blankets from the laundry.

"Mama, we have one more joining us for dinner," David announced, taking off his vest and newsboy cap. Sarah dropped the blanket she was folding and looked into her younger brother's eyes.

"Is Jack coming?" she asked, sounding hopeful.

"It would be nice to see Jack, after all this time," Mrs. Jacobs added, smiling fondly at pleasant memories. "You know he's always welcome."

"I know Mama. He just wants to hang out with his friends, that's all," David told her, avoiding his mother's eyes. Of course the real reason was Sarah, who seemed to understand that in that in David's head-bowing gesture. When she realized that, Sarah began to fold her blanket again. "My friend Maddy is coming over. She's the girl newsie I was telling you about."

Mrs. Jacobs's eyes lit up at the thought of her son bringing a girl home. Maybe this one would be the one; of course, she always hoped for the best for her children, but she thought it was high time that David settled down. She thought she had made that quite clear to him when Sarah got engaged, but now it seemed to be sinking in. She couldn't be happier.

"Well, won't this be nice!" Mrs. Jacobs said warmly. She continued on with her needlework, humming a tune from the old country. Her family was happy, and so was she.

"Hey kid, what's happening?" Jack greeted Maddy, later that evening as he leaned against her door frame. She was getting ready for her dinner with David's family and she wanted to make a good impression. It was times like these where she missed her old life...she shook the thought out of her head. Now was not the time to be feeling sorry for herself. But when she heard Jack's voice, she perked up.

"Hey Jack," Maddy replied. "C'mon in, I'm just getting ready."

"What for, gotta hot date?" Jack teased, walking up next to her. The extremely tiny vanity was littered with fancy bottles and powders that only a woman knew their use. Jack never understood the purpose of makeup, but he admitted sometimes it could look very nice.

"Oh yeah, I've secretly been seeing this guy because I knew my best friend couldn't handle the rejection!" Maddy said dramatically, swatting the back of her palm up to her forehead. "His name is...is..."

"Who is it? I demand to know!" Jack exclaimed, getting caught up in the moment.

"If you must...it's...David!" Maddy yelled and made some scary theme music. "I'm sorry; I knew the pain was too much to bear!"

Jack laughed at the extreme silly-ness of their conversation and began to tickle her sides, bringing out rich, happy laughter. He loved to make her laugh as much as she did for him. When Maddy began to slap his arms and it started to sting, Jack dropped his hands and wrapped his arms around her petite waist in a friendly gesture, bringing her back flush against the front of his body. He rested his chin on her shoulder as she began to dab some exotic smelling liquid on her upturned wrists.

"So seriously, David's your date?"

Maddy looked at him and giggled at his question. Shaking her head, she couldn't believe the moron believed a tiny morsel of her goofy-ness.

"No, dim-wit. I think I would tell you if Dave and I were dating," Maddy said honestly as she latched a bracelet on her wrist. "He invited me over for dinner to meet his family or something like that. I think it's sweet."

"I think he's making a move," Jack replied. Maddy laughed, but stopped when she realized the serious look on his face.

"You can't be serious. Did he say something?"

"No..."

"Jack, we're just friends. End of story."

"Not for him." Maddy turned out of his grasp and folded her arms at her chest. "Look, the guy's my best friend. I probably knew he liked you before he did, that's all I'm saying."

"Well, you better stop saying things because I ain't buying it," Maddy told him. "I can honestly say that David does not have feelings for me. And if he did, well that's just too bad because they aren't reciprocated. Are you done teasing?"

"Never," Jack smiled. "So, who do you have a crush on kid? Is it Skittery? Things have been going through the grapevine that you and he had a thing. Very hush hush. I probably shouldn't be saying things."

"You're right; you shouldn't be saying these things," Maddy told him, rolling her eyes. "As much of a doll he is, Skittery's got a thing for that Beth girl. You know the one who works at the market down by his selling spot?"

"Quite convenient for him, I might add," Jack said, smiling. "You avoided the question. Who does Maddy have the hots for?"

Maddy turned from her mirror to face him and gave him a look of boredom. However, she cracked a sarcastic grin as she began to scope him out, starting from his feet and working her way up to his face. Sprawled out on her bed, Jack had a look of total and complete comfort that was beginning to appeal to her. The blue oxford shirt matched his eyes and the baggy, gray pants did little to hide the length of his long legs. Although she couldn't see it, she knew there was a red bandanna stuffed in his pocket and the worn, black cowboy hat he wore was slightly tipped back on top of his brown hair that was currently straight and constantly getting into his eyes. Maddy bit the inside of her cheek and held back a sigh.

Jack noticed her checking him out and a grin spread across his face. "You got the hots for me, kid? Well, I'm flattered. Honestly, truly flattered. You wanna take the time to...uh, how should I put this..."flatter" me more?"

"Get over yourself Kelly," Maddy rolled her eyes and turned to face her mirror to do some more primping before Jack could see her cheeks getting red.

He'd be the last to admit he was getting feelings for his best friend. But with her back turned to him and the conversation they just had did have the slightest bit of sexual tension...well, he was a guy, wasn't he? And with that in mind, Jack let his eyes feast on the object of his timid affection.

She cleaned up good, he thought to himself. Wearing a clean, dark green skirt, it covered her legs, but the white blouse she paired with her skirt was tight in the all the right places due to the fact that now she'd been able to eat regularly again. Maddy had started to gain weight and was on her way to looking healthy, as opposed to the sallow girl...no, _woman_, he remembered when he met her. Maddy's auburn hair hung loosely down her back, slightly curling at the bottom. A simple chain necklace graced her neck where she was currently dabbing on a little perfume. Jack took a deep breath of the scent and recognized it as a smell he could immediately associate with her. Closing his eyes, Jack leaned back on her bed as she finished getting ready and was pleasantly surprised that he could smell her on her pillow.

"You okay Jack?"

"Yeah, why?" Jack replied, a little startled to be broken out of his reverie.

"You just got kind of quiet, that's all," Maddy answered. She smoothed out her skirt and went to sit next to him. He pulled her down and they lay next to each other comfortably, enjoying the peaceful silence. They could hear the noises of the other guys running around and she smiled at the familiar voices.

"Have fun with Dave tonight," Jack told her, turning his head to make eye contact. "If you guys are bored later, Skittery, Racetrack, and I are going down to Medda's later. She's singing there tonight along with that girl Beth that Skittery likes. C'mon on and join us."

"Okay, maybe I'll mention it. If you guys aren't here by the time I get back, I'll meet up with you three there," Maddy agreed, tracing her finger along the back of his hand. It was an innocent gesture; she'd done it so many times before. Tingles had never gone up Jack's arm at any previous time.

"Maddy! David's here to see you!" They heard Kloppman yell from the bottom of the stairwell.

"I'll be right down!" Maddy yelled back, nearly deafening Jack. "Oops, sorry. I guess I better get going." She rolled of the bed and smoothed out her outfit once more. "How do I look Jacky-boy?"

"Gorgeous," He replied honestly, his voice sounding lower. "You're making Dave a lucky guy."

"We're not dating, moron," Maddy replied, laughing. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

"Bye kid."

Maddy walked out the door and down the rickety stairwell as Jack covered his tired eyes. He could still smell her and it felt like she was still next to him.


	6. CHAPTER FIVE

**---Chapter Five---**

Maddy stifled a yawn as she bade the Jacobs' good-bye. After what seemed like a never-ending three hours, David had finally agreed to take her back to the Lodging House. They walked side by side, enjoying the cool breeze in the humid night.

Thinking back to the night's events, Maddy realized it could've gone a lot better. While Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs were incredibly nice and Les being the sweetie that he always is, Maddy had pinpointed the problem down to Sarah and Robert. Well, more specifically, Robert.

Sarah was overly kind, just like her mother, which Maddy had appreciated. They were able to do some girl talk with Mrs. Jacobs which she had missed, living in a boarding house with a bunch of guys. The only time Sarah had acted a little strange was when she and David were talking about Jack, but she had remembered that Jack had told her she was an ex-girlfriend and Maddy had quickly changed the subject. After that, Sarah had seemed perfectly nice. Which is why Maddy could not understand why she was going out with a guy like Robert.

"Maddy?" David asked, breaking her train of thought.

"Wha- yeah?"

"Did you have a good time tonight?"

"Yeah Dave. Your family's real nice," Maddy told him, smiling. "And you know I adore Les, and Sarah was real friendly towards me..."

"But..." David prodded, knowing that she had more to say. Maddy _always_ had more to say.

"How the hell did she end up with a guy like Robert?" she asked bluntly. David stopped and stared at her before bursting out in a laugh.

"I honestly don't know," David told her as they began to continue walking again. "He was a little...boisterous."

"Boisterous? The man was a kiss-ass, first class brown-noser," Maddy added. "I can see why your parents like him. But Sarah seems like she deserves a lot better than him."

"I know," David sighed. "I've told her that, many times. She claims that no one's ever made her feel that way and that I'm just sticking my nose where it doesn't belong. But I know she's not happy. She hasn't been happy since Jack left for Santa Fe." David stopped, not knowing if he should go on. He didn't know how much Jack had told her about his past relationship with his sister. Before Maddy could say anything, he interrupted. "I'm not going to tell you why. He came back about four months ago and it took him that long before he could tell me. If you want to know, you should ask him."

Maddy pondered on that while they continued to walk. When they were about a block away from the lodging house, she remembered Jack's invitation and stopped to turn and face David.

"So, you ready for a little fun?" She asked, a wicked grin expanding across her features. In the moonlight, David thought she looked absolutely radiant and he wondered about what kind of fun she was talking about. When he asked, she laughed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Jack invited us to go to Medda's with him, Skittery, and Racetrack after we were done with dinner at your house. Medda's performing and that girl Skittery has been talking about for a couple of weeks. You wanna go?"

"As much as I want to," David started, sighing. "I have to get back. I told Mama I was only going to drop you off. Besides, I'm working with Papa at the factory tomorrow to help him out with some things and I need to get up early."

"C'mon Dave, live a little!" Maddy exclaimed, spinning in a circle. "The night is young, the birds are free, yadda, yadda, yadda, just come on out with me and the guys! It's so rare that you do."

David smiled and ran a hand through his thick, curly hair. "Next time Mads. I promise."

"Okay," she sighed. "I'll come visit you tomorrow. Maybe we can go to the park or something." She stepped on her tip-toes, gave him a quick, friendly peck on the cheek and began to walk down towards 4th street to pay a visit to her good friends. David grinned and kept on grinning until he reached his home, where he yelled out a whoop of joy.

"Well, look who decided to show up!" Racetrack yelled over the noise as Maddy made her way through the smoky haze and crowded tables.

"I showed up, didn't I?" Maddy replied, giving him a hug. "What'd I miss?"

"Not much," Racetrack said, leaning back in his seat. "Skittery's been whimpering all night, waiting for his "lady" to show up."

"Put a lid on it! She will show!" Skittery yelled indignantly, taking another swig out of his, what Maddy assumed to be, alcoholic drink. "Oh, hey Maddy."

Maddy smiled hello and sat down between him and Jack, who was watching a ventriloquist act up on stage.

"Hey Jack."

"Hey kid. Look, it's like his mouth never moves!" Jack said with raw admiration. "Now that takes talent." He looked behind and noticed something. "Where's Dave?"

"He had his excuses."

"How was dinner?"

"I don't wanna talk about it." Jack laughed at the grimace on her face.

"What was wrong?" He asked as he turned to face her, making eye contact. "Weren't the Jacobs nice?"

"Oh the Jacobs were perfectly swell," Maddy replied. "It was Sarah's fiancée that was the problem. He is such a brown-noser. It was incredibly sad to watch."

Jack smiled, but didn't say anything. Maddy had told him all he needed to know about Robert. Besides, he wasn't going to spend the night re-hashing on old memories. This was supposed to be fun and he intended to have a good time.

The ventriloquist act was over a couple minutes later and a slender, wildly red-haired woman stepped out on staged and smiled as all the males wooed and cat-called to her. The guys at Maddy's table started yelling for their appreciation too and Maddy figured out that this must be the famous Medda.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen!" Medda called out in a Swedish accent. "Before I come out to do some numbers of my own, we're going to finish up this Amateur's Night with a lady who's full of soul. Give it up for Beth Jones!"

When Skittery began clapping, whistling, and waving loudly, Maddy figured this was the moment he'd been waiting for. Beth walked out onto stage and she immediately held the audience's attention. With a curvy figure and dark, chestnut curls, she earned just as many cat-calls as Medda had. Her dress was a light, periwinkle blue that fit in all the right places and sparkled if she turned in the light a certain way. Grabbing the mike, Beth began to speak and a hush fell over the crowd.

"Hello, lovely audience!" Beth said happily into the microphone, smiling broadly. "We're gonna slow things down a bit with one of my personal favorites. Hope you enjoy this one as much as I do. Hit it Fred." Fred, the piano player, took his cue and gorgeous music began to flow out of the large instrument.

"_At last,"_ Beth crooned into the microphone, working the crowd. _"My love has come along. My lonely days are over..."_

Maddy watched Beth do her thing up on stage when she got an idea as couples began to walk towards the clearing in the middle of the room. She poked Jack's arm, who turned around, slightly annoyed that he was interrupted from watching Beth.

"C'mon Cowboy, let's dance," Maddy suggested, a soft smile playing across her face.

"What? No! I can't dance," Jack admitted, whispering it in her ear so that the other guys couldn't hear her.

"Jack, anyone can dance. Come on, I'll show you how," Maddy replied. With that said she took his hand and dragged him out to the dance floor where five other couples were slightly swaying to the beat, positively glowing from the candles lit up all over the place.

The song continued to play and Beth's smooth lyrics overtook the noise in the place as more couples began to join the dance floor. When they had reached it, Maddy turned to face Jack and took a deep breath.

"Okay, put both of your hands here," Maddy instructed, placing his hands gently on her hips. "I put my hands here." She wrapped her arms tenderly around his neck. "And you just sway to the beat. Follow my lead."

Within minutes, Jack found himself relaxing enough to be comfortable dancing in front of other people. It felt decidedly natural to rest his head softly on hers and it felt nice when she rested her head against his chest. Dancing to them felt like an affectionate moment between two best friends, both of them just living in the moment.

Maddy truly allowed herself to relax. She forgot about David, forgot about newsies, and just forgot about everything. All she wanted to remember was this moment right now, when Jack was holding her like she had thought of for a long time. She felt his hands play with the bottom of her hair and sighed at the simplicity of it all. This was nice and it had been a long time since she had had a nice moment.

The dance was interrupted by the clapping of the audience as Beth sang out her final note. Beth smiled graciously, said her thanks, and disappeared off-stage. Maddy and Jack clapped for her politely and as they talked while they walked back to their table, they both agreed that she had been an excellent singer.

"My God wasn't she just beautiful!" Skittery was exclaiming as Maddy sat down. "I love that woman. Just you watch; I'm gonna marry her."

"Skittery, you said that about Marge the florist three months ago," Racetrack groaned. "And about Annie a year ago, and come to think of it, Wanda got the same declaration made to her around two weeks ago..."

"Shut up Race," Skittery said hastily. "This time it feels right. I can feel it in my bones man."

"Well I hope you're right," Jack commented. "She's coming this way."

"Oh my God, how's my hair?!" Skittery yelled. Before anybody had a chance to answer him, Beth appeared next to him.

"Your hair looks fine," Beth answered mockingly while a shy smile spread across her face, causing Skittery to blush horribly. "Can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Skittery nodded and she led him away with Skittery having the widest grin on his face that any of them had ever seen.

"So, uh, Jacky-boy," Racetrack started. "I didn't know you were such a good dancer."

"Yeah, well it helps when you have a good teacher," Jack replied, smiling at Maddy. She grinned back and took a swig of Skittery's unattended drink.

"Well, Maddy...if you don't mind me asking, can you help me with some dancing moves?" Racetrack asked shyly. "See, there's this girl over at the bar and I really want to impress her, but if I got no moves..."

"No problem Race," Maddy replied, finishing off Skittery's drink. "C'mon, I'll show ya some moves that'll turn her into a puddle."

"I don't want her to melt; I just want her to like me." Jack heard Racetrack quip as Maddy dragged him to the floor. He also heard her rich laughter as he sat back to enjoy the show Medda was about to put on for the audience. As much as he would've liked to pay attention to Medda, his attention kept getting drawn back to Racetrack and Maddy. Racetrack would keep whispering things into her ear that would make her laugh and Jack couldn't help feel a twinge of jealousy. He knew it was ridiculous, but after a dance like that, he felt he should've been the one to be making Maddy laugh.

Skittery bounded up to the table, breaking Jack's concentration. By the, what looked like permanent, smile on his face, Jack assumed things had gone well.

"Well?"

"She asked me out Jack," Skittery said, like he couldn't believe it. "It was incredible; she started talking about how much she noticed me selling my papers and how she noticed how much I'd been noticing her. Beth said she'd been hoping I'd show up tonight. Can you believe that? She was hoping I would be here! And then she just asked me. Like it was no big deal! I can die a happy man."

"Don't die before your date," Jack advised. "I'm sure Beth wouldn't enjoy being by herself."

"Ha ha ha," Skittery said sarcastically. They sat in silence for a moment. "Dave stopped by earlier."

"Oh yeah? Why didn't he stay?"

"I don't know. He took one look at you and Maddy and took off. Said something about getting up early...I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention," Skittery replied, not being much help. "I swear it though, he took a look at you two and just went pale. Kind of weird for him, I'll admit. Hey, there ain't anything going on between the two of you, is there?"

"What? Nah," Jack dismissed the comment a little too quickly. "Why would you think that?"

"Just an observation," Skittery answered. "You two are awfully close."

"Just forget about it Skit," Jack said. "Nothing ain't going on." Jack turned away from his friend and went back to watching Racetrack and Maddy. God, did he have to keep touching her back like that? Jack took a swig of his drink and let it swish around in his mouth. He didn't want to get drunk, per se, but a nice buzz would at least dull whatever activity was going on inside him. He felt like he was going to need it.


	7. CHAPTER SIX

**---Chapter Six---**

_Two Weeks Later_

"I can't believe it was her birthday and she didn't tell us," Kid Blink muttered for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past hour or so. "How did you guys find out?"

"The credit for this party goes to Les Jacobs; thank God he can't keep a secret," Racetrack replied, tying a balloon on the back of the chair. "He told me this afternoon when he was selling papers with me. I told Jack and now here we are, due to the lovely help of Ms. Medda."

"Thank you Racetrack," Medda said warmly in a surprising New York accent. "You boys know I'm always here to help out."

"And we're so grateful," Jack replied, kissing her hand flirtatiously. He'd known Medda for years, but it's not like they'd ever get together or anything. They had a strictly platonic relationship.

"This Maddy is a lucky girl," Medda commented, sprinkling glitter all over the table. "I'm positive she is going to be so surprised!"

"I hope so," Jack added absent-mindedly, making sure the balloons were tied on perfectly. He wanted everything to go on smoothly; Maddy had seemed awfully stressed the past couple of days and he figured it was because of her birthday. However, he got the feeling that there was more to it than that.

"Jack, that's like the fifth time you've tied that balloon to the chair," Racetrack observed, coming up to his side. "Relax! I'm sure as long as the balloon floats up, we won't have a problem."

"You're right, you're right," Jack agreed, sitting down. "I just want things to be right, you know? Do you think she'll be surprised? I'll bet she hates it." Racetrack sighed and tried to be a supporting friend.

"You ain't got nothing to worry about," he told Jack. "She is gonna love it and she will have a great time tonight. The rest of the guys and I will finish decorating; why don't you go pick up Maddy? It's almost time for her to get her ass over here anyway."

Jack agreed and with some more prodding from Kid Blink and Medda, he set off towards the lodging house. He didn't really remember the journey; all he remembered was appearing in Maddy's doorway and watching her cry.

She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't believe that the bastard was looking for her after all these years. Maddy remembered what it was like leaving home and being thrown in the Refuge; if you could even call it home. He'd never really loved her, but she'd gotten over that because she wasn't really looking for a father-figure that could love her. After all, no one could replace her dad, especially his dumb-ass brother. At least, that's how she thought of him. Everyone else kissed his ass, wanting to be Joe Pulitzer's best friend in exchange for a little something. Uncle Joe had quietly made Maddy's life a living hell and there wasn't even so much as a notification that he was looking for her in one of his newspapers when she had run away two years ago.

Sitting on her bed, she gazed at the black and bold headline of Pulitzer's god-damned newspaper. The only thoughts that littered her mind were why he wanted her back. Or at least, why he wanted the public to think he wanted his sweet, little niece back. It was something Maddy didn't want to deal with. To be more honest with herself, it was something Madison Pulitzer didn't want to deal with. And she would make damn sure Uncle Joe wasn't going to mess things up.

Leaning on to her pillow, Maddy threw the newspaper under her bed and sighed. And that's when she noticed Jack standing in the doorway. Rubbing her eyes, she motioned for him to come in. With her eyes still closed, she felt the bed sink from his weight and his hand taking hers while he tried to be her friend.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hate to break it to you kid, but I live here too," Jack replied, feeling discouraged when she didn't smile. "Question is why are you crying?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Why?"

"It's not something that concerns you," Maddy replied, a slight tinge of ice to her voice. Jack stared at her hard and she let a yelp of surprise when he grabbed her by the shoulders and sat her upright so she was staring into his eyes.

"It is something that concerns me Maddy," Jack said, his voice dead-even. "We work together, we're a team. Over the past month or so, we've been able to become friends, despite our rocky beginnings. I've been able to share things with you that I can't talk to about the other guys. So I'm considering your business to be my business."

"That is complete bullshit Kelly," Maddy spat back, twisting out of his grasp. "The things really close to you I know nothing about! Remember when you told me about your parents and the Refuge? I considered it a big step, but after that, you clammed up! Just like I do; that's probably why we're such good friends. We're both so god-damned stubborn that it works."

"What things haven't I told you?" Jack demanded to know. "I tell you everything! I tell you things before Dave knows!"

"Not about Santa Fe," Maddy replied, her voice lowering. "And not about Sarah." When Jack didn't say anything, she shook her head and began to pace around the room, wanting to cool off. Unfortunately, it wasn't working all that well.

"How do you know about that?"

"That's the problem; I don't," Maddy said. "Dave mentioned something about you leaving, but he stopped because he didn't know if you told me. He said you would tell me when you thought it was best but that hasn't happened yet, has it? And as for Sarah? Well, you've mentioned her and I noticed the pain on her face when I mentioned you at the Jacobs' dinner. But that's pretty much it. So don't go around campaigning to be Mr. Honesty when you can't even claim to be completely honest with me!"

"Oh yeah? Well what about you?" Jack exclaimed, getting angry at all these accusations. "I know just as little about you. Sure, we both know the basics about each other, but you know a hell of a lot more about me than I for you! I don't know anything about your parents, I don't know why you were in the Refuge, and you never explained why you ran away. Need I continue?" Maddy folded her arms and turned to face him, the slightest prickle of tears stinging in the corners of her eyes.

"Fine. What do you want to know?" A pause filled the room between the two of them as they stared at each other; both could hear the other one breathing. "C'mon, you want to be so honest with me? Fire away; I can take it." Some birds chirped outside while Jack had decided to be direct and ask her his first question.

"Where are you parents?"

"Dead. Mom died at childbirth and dear old dad died when I was ten. No one really told me why, all I knew was that he was gone and he wasn't coming back."

"Where did you go? To the Refuge?"

"No, worse. With my uncle," Maddy replied, a bitter taste filling her mouth. She felt brutally honest with Jack and while it was a little intimidating, she felt a little relieved to. Only a tiny bit of her did though.

"Is he why you ran away?" Jack asked, noticing both of them were beginning to calm down. Maddy went as far as to sit back down on the bed, but she sat as far away as she could.

"Partly. Uncle Joe decided to throw me in the Refuge three years ago and I managed to escape two years ago. I've been running ever since. No message, no newspaper ad to look for me. He just let me run and that's the way it's been ever since," Maddy replied, her voice getting lower and lower. A tear managed to escape, but she quickly wiped it away. She hated letting people watch her cry. Maddy felt so vulnerable crying in front of Jack, more vulnerable than she ever had in her whole life.

More tears began to slide down her cheeks as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her body and she rested her head on Jack's shoulder. She didn't need any sympathy; it was the last thing she wanted. His arms felt good and she was beginning to relax into his body, her ragged breathing becoming smoother and more even. When she was able to gain control, Maddy looked up to see that he was already looking down at her with a look of love and concern mixed into his eyes. The feeling of vulnerability came up again, but it washed away when Jack lightly kissed the top of her head.

"Thanks kid," he whispered into her ear, the breath tickling her neck. It took a lot of work, but Jack had managed to unlock some secrets to Maddy's past and for that, he would be forever grateful.

"Tell me about you," Maddy said, as they walked outside. The dusky twilight was beginning to darken over the city, but Maddy and Jack had agreed that this was their favorite time of day. People were bustling home, things were closing down, and the city was beginning to allow nighttime life to take over. It was exciting and adventurous, just like the two young people themselves.

Jack looked ahead, deciding to take the long way towards Medda's so they would have more time to talk. Past memories weren't exactly what the teenager had in mind though. However, Maddy had been able to open up to him and if he wanted to maintain their friendship, he was going to have to give a little too. Besides, he was more sure than ever that Maddy needed this party.

"It began after the strike," Jack started, remembering the day well. "I was forming new friendships with Dave and Les...pretty much the whole Jacobs' family. When I met Sarah, it was like there was an instant attraction. We both felt it and it felt right to start up a relationship when the strike was over. After a lifelong dream of wanting to go to Santa Fe, I gave it up to stay in New York. Not just for her, but Sarah was a pretty big reason. I'd never had somebody to think about and for them to care about me the she did."

Jack glanced at Maddy to make sure she wasn't bored, but to his surprised, she seemed completely enraptured with his tale, so he continued on with his past.

"For awhile, the relationship went great. We were that loving, perfect couple; almost like her parents. In that summer, she made me learn more about myself than I thought I knew and I will be eternally grateful for that. But after awhile...things changed. It seemed like we were getting used to each other and the spark was beginning to burn out. We tried everything to keep it alive, but the fact was we weren't the same. She would accuse me of hanging out with the guys to much and I blamed her for not understanding. We fought for a long time.

"In a desperate attempt to save the relationship, I proposed to her. I thought maybe this was it; I could settle down and Sarah and I could fix our problems. She saw right through the proposal and turned me down. She said marriage was no way to fix a relationship and that I shouldn't be jumping into such a big step that she wasn't ready for. So I offered to take her to Santa Fe, but she said no to that too. We began to realize we just weren't going to last and that was that. The money I saved up for Santa Fe was gone; I had spent it on papers and booze and Sarah. A couple months later, I saved up enough again and I took off. Left all my friends and the life I had known since I was a kid. Santa Fe ended up being full of disappointments though. I couldn't maintain a relationship or a job and I missed my friends and the life back here. So I hitch hiked back and never really brought it up, not even to Dave until a couple weeks ago. As for Sarah and me...we don't talk anymore. We'll be friendly, but that's as far as it goes. And that's the story you been waiting to hear kid. Extra, extra, read all about it."

They walked for two blocks before Maddy would say anything. Her first reaction was semi-shock; she hadn't expected Jack to get so involved. But the more she thought about it, she realized that after the way he opened up, it probably would've been better to tell the whole truth rather than some vague story.

"So we're even now," Maddy said, breaking the silence. They both smiled at each other and stopped in front of the door to Medda's bar. "I say we get so drunk that they are going to have to literally throw us out on to the streets."

"Sounds tempting," Jack replied, both of them getting closer as they stood in front of each other. "Although I'd never picture you as someone who could let their inhibitions go like that."

"What do you mean?"

"You know...able to get drunk so that the mind would become...," Jack trailed off, his eyes slowly burning into hers. For an instant, Maddy allowed her emotions come over her and she felt something rumble inside her.

"Blurry?" she finished for him, her voice getting shallower. Jack nodded, unable to speak due to the lump in his throat. He brought his hand up and gently brushed a piece of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. She'd never felt anything softer and believed as though she was only living this moment.

Both of them stood there, not saying anything. It could've been her imagination, but Maddy swore she saw Jack's head moving closer. Before she had any time to react, he straightened himself up again and cleared his throat.

"Well...let's go inside, shall we?" Jack took her hand and led Maddy into the darkened bar. She was confused by his actions but before she could say anything, the lights flickered on.

"SURPRISE!"


	8. CHAPTER SEVEN

**---Chapter Seven---**

The birthday party had come as a total shock to Maddy. When she had found out that Les had leaked her secret, all she could do was roll her eyes and continue living on with her life. Despite the moments she shared with Jack, she made the decision of worrying about it later and to instead enjoy the party.

Medda and other assorted live bands and singers were keeping the mood swinging by playing some really good party tunes that had the dance floor a happening place to be. The dance floor was littered with newsies and their dates (only half of whom she recognized) and other newsies were scattered about, talking, laughing, and playing cards. Everyone was having such a good time and Maddy felt happy to be in the middle of it all.

"Okay Race, I'm calling your bluff," Maddy pronounced as Kid Blink lit the cigarette that was dangling from her mouth. "What do you think is gonna give you the winning hand?" Racetrack stared at her, trying to feel out if she thought she could win or not. He was pretty confident he could win, but he never knew with her.

"All right, I'm laying it all out," Racetrack replied, puffing on his cigar. "I got me a pair of twos lying under three queens."

"Wow, that's a really good hand," Maddy commented, pretending to be interested. "Unfortunately, it ain't enough to be not one, two, or three, but _four_ of my little sevens."

Cheering and yelling went all around the table as she blew smoke out onto Race's cards and gave him a smirk as she collected her winnings. Racetrack got up and walked away from the table, muttering about how he couldn't believe he lost to Maddy again. She only laughed; he did this every time she won.

"So, can I interest the birthday girl in a dance?" Maddy looked up to see a familiar pair of blue eyes smiling at her. She smiled back, stubbed out her cigarette, and took his hand in hers.

"Sure Dave," Maddy agreed, walking out with him to the dance floor. They began to move to the beat of the music, talking and laughing.

"So, are you enjoying yourself?" David asked when they hit a lull in the conversation.

"Oh, I'm having a great time," Maddy replied, a twinkle glimmering in her eyes. "However, I'll just have to be more careful what I say around Les. He was lucky this time." Although she said it jokingly, he noticed something in the way she looked.

"Is something bothering you?"

"What? No," Maddy answered, seeming a little distracted. "Everything is perfect. Jack, and you, and everyone just doing this for me...a girl couldn't ask for more."

"You know, it was his idea," David told her as they moved around the dance floor. "He wanted to make everything perfect for you."

"I hope he realizes how much I appreciate it." There it was again; David was sure something was bothering her. He noticed how distracted she seemed and it was beginning to bother him. But now, he noticed how her eyes darted around the room and one of the things he liked about Maddy was that she gave you her full attention when you were talking to her.

"Maddy, what are you looking for?"

"Nothing," Maddy replied, snapping her attention back to David, giving him a smile. "All eyes are on you sweetie-pie." He laughed at the way she made fake goo-goo eyes at him but when he twirled her in a circle, David saw Jack staring into his eyes and it made him feel kind of unnerved. He could tell by the look on Jack's face that he wasn't happy with him dancing with Maddy.

"So, how's it going with you and Skittery?" Maddy asked Beth as they stood by the bar. Skittery had introduced the two of them and after talking for a little bit, they realized they had some common interests.

"It's going really well," Beth answered, smiling happily. "He's just really sweet and thoughtful. I still can't believe I went up to him that one night and just asked him out. Took a lot of courage, let me tell you."

"What brought you to ask him like that?" Maddy asked, remembering that night well.

"Well...I don't know. I knew I liked him; hell, he was across from my store every day, selling his papers," Beth remembered. "I just realized I was tired of the bullshit and decided to ask him. All this talk about the woman waiting for the man is nonsense. We are in a new century Maddy and I felt like taking a stand for myself."

"Wow, I wish I could do that," Maddy said, a hint of wistfulness in her voice.

"Honey, I know you can," Beth said reassuringly. "I know there's got to be a newsie here that's caught you eye." When Maddy didn't say anything, Beth sighed. "It's Jack, isn't it?"

Maddy's eyes went wide and then gave a surprised laugh. "God, it's that obvious isn't it? How do you do that?"

"Eh, instincts," Beth replied easily, swallowing the rest of her drink. "And observations. I began to pick up your little crush when you mentioned him only about thirty times."

Maddy sighed as she ordered up another drink from the bar. "So what are your opinions on it?"

"As someone older than you," Beth started, placing a hand on her hip. "I think you're smitten with him. And from the looks he keeps throwing over here, I can assume he feels the same way."

"He keeps looking over here?" Maddy said anxiously, turning her head. Sure enough, Jack was staring over at them. He smiled when Maddy made eye contact and shyly turned his head away and continued to talk with Kid Blink. "He's just checking up on me. Jack's kind of protective like that."

"Maddy, I've barely met the boy, but from what Skittery tells me, he's got a crush on you too," Beth confided. "Has he ever tried to make a move? Or have you, for that matter? I'm sure you've dropped hints. You don't seem like the type of girl who innocently waits for her man."

"Well..." Before Maddy could tell her about Jack's actions before the party, he was standing right in front of her.

"You ready to dance again?" he asked, his blue eyes twinkling.

"Oh, that reminds me," Beth butted in. "I'm due up onstage. Got any requests?"

"Something we can dance to," Jack replied, taking Maddy's hand. She waved goodbye as Beth rolled her eyes.

"Thank you Captain Obvious!" Beth stalked off towards the stage and smiled as she heard the crowds cheer for her. "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen! I'm about to play something special tonight, so grab your partner and head for the dance floor!"

The piano started to play its music as Beth took a couple of deep breaths, preparing herself for the song. When she spotted Maddy, Jack, and Skittery, she felt very inspired and began to sing from her deepest emotions.

"_Someday, when I'm awfully low, when the world is cold. I will feel a glow just thinking of you. And the way you look tonight..."_

Spinning her in a circle, Jack smiled as she laughed and gently laid his hands in the small of her back. They would gently rock, allowing the lyrics to wash over them and the moment. Occasionally, he would dip her when she least expected it and she sighed at the way she felt.

"So, are you having a good time?" Jack whispered in her ear, rubbing her back.

"This is absolutely wonderful," Maddy replied, resting her head on his shoulder. "I could not have asked for a better birthday."

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that," he answered, stroking her hair. "I was afraid you wouldn't like it because you didn't want anyone to know about your birthday."

"Jack, let me fill you in on a little secret," Maddy told him, looking into his eyes. "Women enjoyed being surprised; especially when it's a good one."

"I'll keep that in mind," he sighed, both of them continuing to dance. The piano music washed over them and they both realized that they were in very close proximity to each other. Thoughts of what happened between them earlier floated through Maddy's mind and so did Beth's words of taking the bull by the horns.

"Are you having a good time?" Maddy asked him. Jack smiled a smile she'd never seen before and it filled her with happiness to see a new side of him.

"When I'm with you, I always have a good time."

Maddy reached up on her tip-toes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you for doing this."

Jack bent down and brushed his lips against her cheek. "You were worth it."

Before he could say anything else, he felt her lips on his, softly kissing them. As shocked as he was, Jack only returned the kiss and felt a definite shiver go up his spine. It was the type of kiss you only read about in magic fairy-tales; soft, sweet, and perfect. As much experience as Jack had, he'd never been kissed like this before.

Breaking the kiss, Maddy kept her eyes closed as she rested her head on his chest, softly humming along with the lyrics that Beth was still singing.

"_Don't you ever change, keep that breathless charm, won't you please arrange it, cause I love you, just the way you look tonight," _Beth sang the final notes over the loud clapping and whistling coming from the crowd. And while Jack and Maddy were happy that she did a good job, they were lost in their own world.

"So, I guess this is it," Maddy said as they reached her bedroom door. Jack had walked with her back to the lodging house and the two of them were now standing outside her room, saying goodnight.

"I guess so," Jack replied, smiling as she yawned widely. "You look beat."

"It's been a long day," Maddy answered, shrugging her shoulder. As much as she wanted to talk to him about their kiss, she felt she would be able to talk better when she wasn't so tired. "Good night Jack." She stood up on tip-toe to kiss his cheek and was met with his lips instead. Fumbling a little bit, Maddy steadied herself on the doorknob as Jack's hand slid down to her hip. She felt herself being pressed up against the wall as the kiss deepened and a small sigh escaped her lips. She allowed herself to lose it in the moment but something didn't feel right. Maybe it was the alcohol or it'd been a long day; whatever it was, she knew that whatever was happening needed to stop before it went any further.

"Jack, stop," Maddy said softly, his lips moving down her neck. He was totally engrossed in his progress and didn't hear her right away. "Jack....Jack, stop...c'mon Jack!" He got the message when he felt her hand on his chest push him slightly away. His head still hung close near hers, close enough that she could hear him breathing. He looked into her eyes before kissing her forehead lightly. That one kiss turned into a trail of kisses down the side of her face which infuriated and excited her at the same time.

"Stop it." The command sounded serious this time and Jack backed off a little, frustrated and confused. "I ain't that kind of girl, you know."

"I know," Jack said softly, turning so that he was leaned up against the wall next to her. "I get it."

"I want to," Maddy said slyly, turning her head to face him. He reciprocated the same smile as she continued. "But tonight....let's just call it quits here, all right?"

"You're killing me kid," Jack said, closing his eyes and running his hand through his hair. "Nothing I can do to change your mind?"

"Not really," she replied. "You think we're ready?"

"Ready for...?"

"The next step. Friendship to...something more."

Jack stood there quietly for a minute as thoughts flew his already oversaturated mind. Looking into her eyes, he knew the answer. "I think we've always been ready. It just took a little longer to get around to it."

Maddy rolled her eyes but a grin spread across her face anyway. "You going soft on me Kelly?"

"Not in the least," his voice turned slightly husky as he raised an eyebrow suggestively. Maddy softly gasped at what he was implying and gave a surprised giggle.

"Goodnight Jack," she laughed, kissing his cheek.

"Goodnight kid," he replied, watching her disappear behind her bedroom door. He sighed and walked down the hall to the flight of stairs that would lead him down to his own bed, a bunk he shared with someone in a room full of Newsies. It looked like it was going to be a long night.


End file.
